


French Toast

by sharpiesgal (TigerLily)



Series: Something Unexpected [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Romantic Friendship, beginning relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-30
Updated: 2014-04-30
Packaged: 2018-01-21 08:37:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1544546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerLily/pseuds/sharpiesgal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another day in the continuing relationship of Tony Stark and Natasha Romanov.</p>
            </blockquote>





	French Toast

Tony woke to the smell of freshly brew coffee and bacon. He shuffled out of his bedroom and into the kitchen to find Natasha making breakfast.

He found the sight of the infamous Black Widow moving efficiently around his kitchen wearing his “Kiss Me, I’m The Cook” apron both amusing and frightening at the same time. He kept that thought to himself as he brushed a kiss against her cheek as he headed toward the coffee maker.

“Good morning,” he finally greeted her once he had consumed half a cup of coffee. “Decided to stay in this morning?”

“Steve stayed up late talking to Darcy, so he decided to go for a run later and since I’ll be at work he misses out on my charming personality,” Natasha explained as she expertly flipped several pieces of French toast.

Tony refilled his coffee cup before snickering in wry amusement. “Wow, I didn’t know that sarcasm could be contagious.”

“I became sarcastic long before I met you,” Natasha countered with a slight smirk. “What do you want on your French toast?”

“You dashed my hopes,” Tony sighed dramatically while clutching his coffee cup to his chest. “I’m going to have to go back to bed and start my day over a woefully broken man.”

Natasha rolled her eyes at him. “And miss out on my French toast?”

“On second thought,” Tony said not surprised he got an eye roll for his drama llama act. He pulled out a kitchen chair and settled into it. “I understand from Katniss that your French toast is not to be missed, so I’ll have mine with blueberries and powdered sugar.”

“How many nicknames do you have for Clint?”

“Four or five I think. Why?”

“That’s more than you given me or anyone else, so I was curious.”

“For me and Clint it’s a game, but mainly if I use a nickname it’s either as an endearment or an insult depending on who I’m addressing,” Tony quietly explained.

“I can see that it’s a game for you and Clint,” Natasha remarked recalling that Tony had started it in the middle of the battle with the Chitauri by calling Clint Legolas. She plated the French toast and set the plate in front of Tony along with containers of fresh blueberries and powdered sugar.

“But what you really are wondering is why I only use Clint’s nickname for you, am I right?” Tony hazarded as he tossed a few blueberries on his French toasted before sprinkling it with powdered sugar.

“You would be correct.”

“The asshole comes up with most of the nicknames and since I don’t need to be that person around you I’ve never really considered giving you one,” Tony reasoned with a wry smile. “If you want one, I can think on it and get back to you later.”

“No need. I don’t mind Tasha,” Natasha answered as she removed the apron and hung it on the hook next to the fridge. “You and Clint are the only ones who use it, so it remains special, if you understand what I mean.”

“I do,” Tony replied. He knew from her file how Natasha grew up and things that most people took for granted such as nicknames she didn’t.

She gave him a soft smile before joining him at the table and stealing a piece of French toast from his plate.

He stuck his tongue out at her, but gave her another piece just the same.

*&*

“Do I really have to meet with these tree huggers?” Tony grumbled not in the mood to deal with anymore overly environmentally conscience people. “I got a headache from the last batch.”

“Be good,” Pepper gently admonished.

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

Tony shook his head. “That didn’t work when I was a kid, so try again.”

“Behave or I’ll break my heel off in your ass,” Pepper vehemently threatened.

“Right,” Tony said quelling the urge to raise his hands in mock surrender. “I’ll be over here listening, smiling, agreeing and secretly planning the downfall of the known world.”

“You do that,” Pepper said with a smile before picking up her phone and asking Natasha to show in their next appointment.

*&*

“Fuck my life,” Tony sighed as he leaned back in his desk chair and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ease the headache that was causing his head to throb along with his heartbeat.

“Here,” Natasha said with a bump to his shoulder causing him to open his eyes and smile up at her.

“I think I love you,” he said as he took the tumbler of Scotch she was holding out to him.

“Only because I know the true way to your heart is through your liver,” Natasha gently retorted as she raised her own glass to touch his in a toast. “Here’s mud in your eye.”

“Cheers,” Tony softly chuckled and took a healthy sip from his glass. “Are there anymore meetings schedule for today?”

“No, that was the last one.”

“Thank you, Jesus,” Tony sighed and finished his drink. He set the glass on his desk and stood up grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair.

“Where are you going and do I need to send someone to keep you out of trouble?” Natasha inquired not certain she liked the sudden determined look on Tony’s face.

“I’m going back to the Tower and spend some time in the lab, so I don’t need a babysitter unless you’re offering to be the babysitter,” Tony replied with a bit of a snap in his voice.

“Ahh...there he is at last,” Natasha countered not fazed by Tony’s snippy tone.

“What?”

“The asshole has finally reared his ugly head.”

Tony dropped his head and mumbled, “Sorry.”

“No need to be,” Natasha reassured Tony as she pulled him into a gentle embrace. “You’re tired and you don’t suffer fools gladly so it’s understandable that he would eventually show up.”

“Yeah, that last group was something, but that doesn’t mean I should take my bad mood out on you,” Tony reasoned as he soaked up the comfort Natasha was freely offering. “I am trying to be a better person, you know.”

“You don’t have to change on my account,” Natasha said before letting Tony go and stepping away. 

“I know.”

“Go on and go create something the world can’t live without.”

“You have such a high opinion of me.”

“Yes, I do,” Natasha retorted with a grin. “Now, shoo.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Tony said tossing Natasha a mock salute before walking out the door.

Natasha shook her head and returned to work.

*&*

Natasha punched in the security code to the workshop and was assailed by Big Band music when the door opened to allow her to step inside. She was surprised to say the least, but hid it behind a cool, professional mask.

Tony looked up from where he was reassembling the engine to one of his classic cars. “No sarcastic comment comes to mind concerning my choice of music?” he inquired ready for a fight since he didn’t care for judgmental people.

“Why should it?” Natasha countered in a mild tone. “It’s not what I usually hear when I come down here, but it’s not horrible either, so stop looking for a fight when there is no need to have one.”

Tony softly sighed as what Natasha said took the wind out of his sails. “Sorry.”

“That has to be a record,” Natasha quipped in lieu of accepting Tony’s apology.

“What?”

“You apologizing twice in one day.”

Tony shrugged and went back to the engine that was spread out before him. “Did you need something?” he asked after a few minutes of silence.

“I was curious as to what you were in the mood to eat for dinner,” she replied as she walked around to stand behind him and watch as he put the engine back together.

“It feels like a pizza night,” Tony quickly answered knowing for certain that he wasn’t in the mood to cook and he didn’t want to test Natasha’s cooking skills this early in their relationship.

“Would you like me to order your usual?” Natasha asked knowing she could let Jarvis do the ordering since he had everyone’s favorites on file, but she felt like being a little more hands on this evening.

“Yeah, but with extra mushrooms and cheese, please.”

“Anything else?”

Tony paused in what he was doing and turned on his stool to cautiously look into Natasha’s eyes before softly asking, “Would you mind if we ate it down here?”

Natasha could see Tony’s inner child shining through his brown eyes and knew she would have to tread carefully for the rest of the evening since it wasn’t often that Tony let him out to play. “Of course we can,” she gently replied. “In fact, we can make it a picnic.”

“You’re awesome, Tasha!” Tony softly exclaimed and gave her a brief hug.

Natasha smiled and dropped a kiss on top of Tony’s head. “Would you like milk or soda to drink with your pizza?”

“Soda,” Tony answered. “Milk is for babies.”

“Soda it is,” Natasha said with a chuckle.

*&*

Tony looked up from where he was spreading out a rumpled blanket on the floor when Natasha returned carrying two pizza boxes and a six pack of soda. “Did you splurge on dessert pizza?” he asked with a wary smile.

“I may have,” Natasha admitted and handed Tony the six pack of soda.

“Then I’m a lucky guy,” he quipped setting the sodas aside. The pizza smelled enticing and he couldn’t wait to dive into it.

“No,” Natasha replied with a gentle smile. “You’re a goofball.”

Tony shrugged. “What I really am is hungry.”

Natasha set the pizza boxes on the blanket and sat down herself slapping Tony’s hand away from the top box.

“Ouch,” he pouted.

“Patience is a virtue.”

“I seem to recall we had a conversation concerning the lack of mine the other night,” Tony pointed out as reached for the pizza box again.

Instead of slapping his hand again, Natasha caught his wrist in a bruising grip while sliding the top pizza box out of harm’s way. “Dinner first. Dessert later.”

“Such a stickler for formality,” Tony grumbled and stopped trying to free himself from Natasha’s grip. 

“Not really. I’m just making certain that I get at least one piece of dessert pizza since I did get your favorite,” Natasha countered releasing Tony’s wrist before it became difficult for him to fly the Iron Man suit without being in pain.

“Oh, I am in love with you,” Tony gently teased.

A soft chuckle escaped Natasha as she opened the second pizza box and watched Tony grab up a huge slice and shove it in his mouth.

*&*

“Oh,” Tony moaned as he clutched at his stomach. “I think I ate too much. Why did you let me eat so much?”

“I’m not responsible for your poor eating habits,” Natasha countered trying very hard not to laugh at Tony’s self-imposed misery. “You could have stopped anytime you wanted to.”

“You’re a cruel woman.”

“I have been called worse,” she replied before taking a napkin and leaning close to wipe a speck of chocolate from the corner of his mouth.

“I know.”

“So?”

“So?” Tony parroted her in hopes of getting past this awkward moment.

“Did you have anything planned for the rest of the evening?”

“You know me,” Tony answered with a wry grin. “I like to live on the fly.”

“I’ll take that as a no.”

“Do you have something in mind?”

“Clint promised to take me stargazing tonight since there is suppose to be a meteor shower, but he caught a mission at the last minute,” Natasha smoothly lied wondering if she sounded hopeful instead of desperate because she needed Tony to do this of his own volition.

“We can do that,” Tony happily agreed. He needed something to take his mind of the events of the day or he would do something that Pepper would regret. “It’s been awhile since I’ve been stargazing and anything that can take my mind off those damn tree huggers will be appreciated.”

“New York is a death penalty state,” Natasha pointed out.

“I know,” Tony replied. “But, you see, I’m affiliated with this super secret organization that is very good at hiding bodies and incriminating evidence.”

“Only you.”

“Only me what?”

“Can make SHIELD sound like the Mafia.”

“If the shoe fits...”

*&*

Tony spread out on the balcony the blanket he brought up from the lab while Natasha made them a pot of tea. “What time does the meteor shower take place, J?”

“There isn’t a meteor shower tonight,” Jarvis answered matter-of-factly.

“Hmmm....” Tony murmured. “That’s interesting.” He wasn't surprised that Natasha lied to him. He was curious as to why and would wait her out instead of pressuring her into telling him her reasoning.

*&*

Natasha allowed Tony to pull her closer so she could rest her head on his chest as they studied the constellations that weren’t hidden by the clouds. “You didn’t have to lie,” he softly said after a few minutes of silent contemplation. “I like spending time with you, so this wouldn’t have been a hardship for me.”

“I know,” Natasha admitted. She felt bad for lying to Tony, which she found surprising since that was what she did for a living. “I’m sorry.”

“Why did you?” Tony gently prompted.

“I don’t know.”

“Okay.”

“How can you be okay with that?” she asked in disbelief as she sat up and looked down into his eyes seeing only compassion and understanding.

“Because you’ll tell when you figure out why.”

“For a person who has been burned so many times, you are surprisingly optimistic.”

“In your professional life, you lie to stay alive,” he explained. “If you lie in your personal life, it’s because you need to protect your heart.”

“Some people would say I don’t have a heart.”

“Then they are fools.”

“And you?”

“I find that my affection for you is turning into something deeper,” Tony admitted.

“I really don’t deserve your friendship or your love.”

“You have them anyway,” Tony said. He reached out and pulled her back down on the blanket to cuddle next to him. “Now, let’s enjoy our imaginary meteor shower.”

Natasha returned her head to Tony’s chest and went along with his game of make believe. There would be time enough in the morning to discuss the important aspects of their maturing relationship.


End file.
